Emotions will be high as Manchester United visit Manchester City on Sunday, with the two teams occupying the top two spots in the Premier League table.
Ole has usually had the upper hand over Guardiola over the past couple of years; however, the two head into the 185th Manchester Derby under entirely contrasting circumstances. The Norwegian will be under tremendous pressure from the fans to get his game plan right after three consecutive 0-0 draws, whereas Pep Guardiola will be looking to add to his 21 consecutive victories this weekend.
Nonetheless, the fixture promises to keep football fanatics worldwide on their feet and their eyes glued to the screen.
Let’s take a look at the three things Ole should do to ensure a much-needed victory against the noisy neighbours.
Start Eric Bailly Over Victor Lindelof
Well, it is no secret that a fit Eric Bailly is definitely one of the best defenders in the entire league, but Solskjaer’s obsession with Victor Lindelof has severely reduced Bailly’s game time in the Premier League this season. The Ivorian centre-back has delivered whenever picked by Solskjaer, and a fast-paced defender like him could actually be relied upon to deal with City’s front men.
Manchester City would surely bombard the visitors with relentless attacks at the Etihad, so Bailly could be a key figure at the back for the Red Devils if they want to stop the Citizens from finding the back of the net on Sunday.
Victor Lindelof has a history of committing mistakes in big games, and with Sterling and Mahrez up next, such blunders can cause greater troubles for the away side throughout the ninety minutes.
Form a double pivot to stop Kevin De Bruyne
The formation, the game plan, the tactics – none of them will matter much until and unless you find a way to close in on the Belgian maestro when his side are in possession of the ball.
De Bruyne has a way of distributing passes that are easy to predict but almost impossible to stop. So how do you stop him? Press high? No, not an option against a team like City. While the answer is not as simple as it sounds, one way is to keep your backline in shape, crowd the areas around him, and force him into wide harmless areas, thereby preventing him from making purposive passes.
Ole will be highly dependent on the ‘Fred-McTominay’ partnership to achieve the humongous task as it might well turn out to decide the derby’s outcome.
Try And Score Goals
We’re in March, and Manchester United haven’t yet scored a goal from open play against the top six of the Premier League this season. Furthermore, since Paul Pogba’s injury, they have been struggling to create chances even against the mid-table sides.
Under such circumstances, setting up your side to play out another 0-0 draw against a side like City is less likely to work. The proverbial phrase ‘attack is the best form of defence‘ perfectly indicates what the Red Devils need to do if they wish to secure a positive result against Pep Guardiola’s high-flying Manchester City.
